The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-04-23
BULL RUNS PANIC.
HOW CHANDLER, WADE AND OTHERS
HALTED THE STRAGGLERS.

Graphic Description of the Event as Re
lated by One of the Eye Witnesses-A
Lot of frightened Human Cattle at
Bay.
In his life of Ben Wade the Hon. A G.
Riddle. of Washington, modestly omits all
mention of his own part In the battle OF
Bull Run, and the other evening called
upon him to obtain his recollections Of it.
stDo I remember it?'' he exclaimed with
a smile, Il should think did, for letter
l wrote to my wife giving an account Of
my experience on that day got into the news
papers through the carelessness of a gentle
man to whom ii was given to read, and
caused my defeat for congress at the next
election. I was in congress at the time, and
the reason ] went to the battle was this: The
Cleveland Grays, commanded by Gen. Alex
ander Mcdowell McCook, were at the front,
and it was the finest company in the finest
regiment of the entire army. 1 had prom
issd to go to the front and join them in
their first battle, and in pursuance of this
promise, two carriage loads of US knowing
that there was to be a fight on that memoir
able Sunday, left Washington about
O'Clock in the morning to see it.
CONGRESSMAN AND CITIZENS.
s'There were Senators Chandler and
Wade, Congressman Blake, Morris and my
self, all from Ohio; Mr.. Brown, the sergeant
at arms of the senate; Maj. Eaton, of Michi-
gan a friend of Mr.. Chandler; and Tom
Brown, of the treasury department, friend
of Mr.. Wade. We got breakfast at Fair
fax Court House, and reached the headquar-
tiers of the army at Centerville about day
light, provided with passes from Gen. Scott
that would take us everywhere. At Cen
terville found that the Grays were in the
advance, on the skirmish line, and OF course
could not join them, as l had hoped and ex-
pected However, we left our teams at
temporary hospital near Centerville, and
went on, walking into the line of battle.
After a while, when we supposed the battle
was over we went back to the hospital,
where we had left the teams, thinking that
the Union troops had been victorious, and
there found several hundred soldier stray
glers gathered around. There were a num-
Der of congressman and citizens IN the
crowd, and among them Congressman Ely,
of New York, who you remember was taken
prisoner and sent to Richmond
'''Well, as [ said, we supposed that the
hattie was over, and our troops successful,
and were doing what we could to assist the
wounded, when, to our great surprise,
splendid column of the famous Black Horse
cavalry, of which you have read so much,
came charging down upon u.s. At first we
supposed they were our troops, but soon saw
they were rebels, and made a rush for
big, stout six-rail Virginia fence near by.
A good many who had guns and revolvers
whipped them out, and as the cavalry
stopped and poured a volley into re-
turned it with some vigor and effect, for as
they rode off after that first volley we could
see several riderless horses. In minute the
place was deserted by ali except our party,
and we then got into our carriages and
started toward Washington.
GAS we moved along the woods on each
side of the road appeared to empty them
selves of soldiers who were all running as
fast as they could and pretty soon the road
became blocked by teams army wagons,
riderless horses, wounded men, cannon and
everything that had the power of motion,
all pulling and hauling, and shouting and
climbing over one another in the greatest
excitement and confusion. Soldiers were
throwing away their guns, their knapsacks
and unloading themselves for flight Army
teamsters were cutting loose their horses
from the wagons, artillerymen were doing
the same, and you never saw and no one
can imgaine a wilder or more bewildering
spectacle. Everybody seemed to have gone
crazy.
LIKE FRIGHTENED CATTLE.
In the crowd l saw E. B. Washburne of
Illinois, and Congressman Shanks of Indiana,
and persuade the soldiers to turn back and
do their duty. But it had no effect what
ever. The whole mass of men were like a
lot of frightened cattle, and seemed to think
of nothing but getting to some place of
safety, and the whole crowd, which was
growing larger and larger until it numbered
several thousand, would have run as far as
Washington had not Mr.. Wade and Mr..
Chandler who were in their carriage ahead
of us, got out and stopped them.
''When we were about mile from Fair
fax we saw Senator Henry Wilson drive by
alone in light buggy, and called TO him.
He told US to hurry on, as the rebels were
coming. Then we saw Mr.. Wade and Mr..
Chandler get out with their rifles I asked
them what they were going to do, and Mr..
Wade replied that they were going to stop
these ---- runawayS.' We aighted
with Them and taking guns we had picked
up on the roadside or revolvers that we had
taken with US, the eight of US stretched
across the road and forbade any man to
pass. The flying men saw that we were in
earnest, and Mr.. Wade and Mr.. Chandler
used some strong language to bring them to
their senses. Old Ben stood in the middle
of the road with his hat on the back of his
head and his rife in his hand, and said he
would shoot the first man who attempted TO
run any further. Mr.. Chandler was very
eyes were bloodshot, and in his hand he had
a big navy revolver, which he was brand
ishing in the air, while shouting to the
panic stricken soldiers that they were lot
of fools and towards, and could not retreat
any farther unless they went over his dead
body. The rest of us did what we could,
and in few moments we had the crowd at
bay. The only man who passed us was
soldier bearing dispatches from Gen. Nc
Doweu to Gen. Scott at Washington, and
we would not let him go until we found out
what his eTrand was. Not man got by QUE
line, and many of the soldiers becoming
ashamed of their cowardice, joined us in
trying to stop the panic. Order was some
what restored, and the retreat was stopped
when Col. Crane, of the Second New Jer-
sey, who had been ON duty at Fairfax Court
House, came up with his regiment, and
asked what the trouble was. Mr.. Wade
explained to him the situation, and he said
he would relieve us. He soon brought
order out of confusion, reformed the men,
and then we went on our way toward
Washington. beverley Crump in Pioneer
Press.